Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 286 A Massive Case
"The Northern Garrison Commander is arresting them—!!"

As dusk fell, the black boots of the Imperial Guards shattered the bluestone slabs in front of the Huo residence.

Tan Jingyi, who was in the lead, raised his hand, and the gilded waist badge gleamed in the twilight, startling the gatekeeper and servants so much that they collapsed to the ground.

"Manager Qi Zhong? Manager Gao Wei? Granny Liu..."

Take them all away!

Before long, a group of stewards in the mansion were chained up and taken away.

When Huo Tao's sedan chair turned the corner, all that remained were messy footprints and a group of trembling servants.

"master!"

Another loyal servant from the mansion knelt before the sedan chair, his voice hoarse: "Old Master Qi, Old Master Gao, Aunt Liu... they've all been taken away!"

"What did you say?"

Huo Tao abruptly flung open the curtain, his voice blaring with fury: "Who? Who dares to be so insolent in my residence?"

The loyal servant trembled, crying out, "It's the Embroidered Uniform Guard! It's the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"Yan Song?"

Huo Tao was stunned.

There was even a sense of disbelief and astonishment.

As a fellow townsman of Fang Xianfu and one of the Three Elders of the South China Sea, Huo Tao was a veteran figure in the Grand Rites Controversy Group.

The official who initially proposed the land survey during the new reforms was Huo Tao.

"From the Hongwu reign to the Hongzhi reign, a period of 140 years, the quota land for the whole country has been reduced by more than half, with the loss being particularly large in Huguang, Henan, and Guangdong. The land was either allocated to the royal court or concealed by cunning people."

These so-called "cunning people" were undoubtedly the gentry and powerful class.

As a result, the policy of land survey was immediately met with opposition and resistance from top to bottom. Huo Tao and others were condemned by everyone and instantly became treacherous officials who bewitched the emperor.

It was because of those experiences that Huo Tao looked down on Yan Song.

When they were reforming the country, Yan Song was still serving as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy!

In just a few short years, they've climbed up to my head. How did they do it?

We're relying on the present.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards are out!

They killed him without restraint, catching him completely off guard!
"This old man must enter the palace to meet the Emperor..."

"No!"

"His Majesty's decision to go into seclusion at this time to pray for blessings may be intentional, perhaps to watch us ministers fight amongst ourselves..."

Ultimately, having accompanied Jiajing throughout the Great Rites Controversy, I have gained some understanding of his temperament.

For example, Huo Tao was imprisoned in history for repeatedly clashing with Xia Yan.

But once in prison, Huo Tao's attitude instantly changed. He frantically wrote letters to curry favor and admit his mistakes, which reminded Jiajing of his past merits, leading to his release.

Now, Huo Tao stared at the marks on the screen wall of his own mansion, marks left by the hilts of the swords when the Imperial Guards broke in, and suddenly realized what had happened.

The cold wind was exceptionally biting.

The combination of the Grand Secretary and the Embroidered Uniform Guard is truly terrifying!

Who can stand against them?

Only by persuading His Majesty to retract his decree!
However, His Majesty, out of filial piety for the sake of the Empress Dowager's health, refused to see any officials from outside the capital!

This inadvertently fueled Yan Song's arrogance, allowing him to act with impunity!
No wonder Fei Hong and Li Shi fell one after another.

Older gingers are more spicy!
If he were in the cabinet office, he would lie down on the floor just like Fei Hongli...

of course.

Everyone has a different temperament.

This disheartening thought only lingered in Huo Tao's mind for a moment before he instantly dismissed it.

"Go! Spread the word about what happened in my residence!"

"Tell them that Yan Song has bypassed Liu Shuxiang and is coming straight for me. He's going to start a massacre!"

"Those who don't want to go to the imperial prison, go and arrest Yan Song's murderous son. I'll take care of everything else!"

Huo Tao was no pushover either. In an instant, he saw a glimmer of hope for turning the tide. Gritting his teeth, he gave his orders, and seeing that his servants were still standing there, he shouted sternly, "Hurry up and go!!"

The servants on the ground remained stunned.

The loyal servant who had made the report earlier said with a mournful face, "Master, I've never been to other residences before, I don't know what to do!"

"not good!"

Huo Tao shuddered, realizing that all the capable managers in his household had been taken away by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

In daily communication with other officials, those same people would handle the communication, and once they received instructions, they would naturally be the fastest to spread the message.

Even though the remaining servants were loyal, they had never done such a thing, so they were unreliable even if they wanted to run errands.

"Yan Song..."

"Was this also part of your plan?"

Huo Tao felt a chill run down his spine.

I originally thought that Yan Song's move was nothing more than to force a confession and fabricate charges against him.

Only now did I realize that this move was far more ruthless than I had imagined.

Without his personal steward, his contact with his students and old friends was immediately severed;
Without a trusted confidant, it becomes difficult to keep track of the court's movements in a timely manner.

Those officials who were loyal to him would be like frightened birds once they received the news.

And the henchmen of the Embroidered Uniform Guard can then be visited one by one!
Huo Tao suddenly remembered a line from "The Art of War".

A skilled strategist commands the enemy without being commanded by them!
Yan Song clearly intended to imprison him until he was deaf and blind, and then quickly dismantle his faction!
"Prepare the brush and ink!"

He took a deep breath and strode towards the study: "Summon the three young masters here again..." Before long, the eldest son Huo Yuxia, the second son Huo Yuying, and the youngest son Huo Yuchang arrived, listening to his teachings with pale faces.

Huo Tao wasn't surprised that his servants were terrified in front of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but seeing his three sons also looking panicked, he was immediately enraged: "There's only one minister in this court who can command the wind and rain, and that was the former Lord Zhang, not the current Yan Song! What are you all panicking about?"

Upon hearing this, the eldest son, Huo Yuxia, hesitated before finally saying in a low voice, "Father, since Grand Secretary Yan took office, he hasn't touched any of the old officials. Why go to such lengths to oppose him?"

"The old officials haven't been touched?"

Huo Tao said with exasperation, "Yan Song doesn't target the officials who presided over the Great Rites Controversy because he knows His Majesty still favors us and is secretly very wary of us! As long as we are here, the new policies will not be Yan Song's achievements and glory, but a continuation of Zhang Gong's past accomplishments. Do you think he can be at ease?"

After a pause, Huo Tao said in a deep voice, "Besides, there can only be one Grand Secretary. He will not let go of any opportunity to suppress anyone who poses a threat. Either I resign and return to my hometown now, or this conflict will come sooner or later. Do you understand?"

"Yes!"

Huo Yuxia responded softly.

He clearly did not agree, but out of respect for the father-son relationship, he dared not argue.

The next generation of the Da Li Yi Group is not very promising.

This may also be because their backgrounds were not high to begin with; they were all from poor families in remote areas. After gaining the favor of Jiajing, they devoted themselves to serving the country and governing the country, so they had no interest in educating their children, resulting in very few of them becoming Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) to this day.

Thinking of Yan Song's only son, Huo Tao emphasized again: "Find Yan Shifan by all means. As long as he is found guilty of murder, I can force Yan Song to resign. Otherwise, my son and I will meet again in prison one day..."

"go with!"

Huo Tao waved his sleeve, his voice like tearing silk: "Let's see what's happening inside and outside the capital—"

"Who captured that deadly pawn first?!"

……

"Has it not been found yet?"

at the same time.

Yan Song's expression turned serious upon hearing the report.

After Hu Zongxian and Zhao Zhenji witnessed Yan Shifan leaving hastily with blood on his clothes at the Imperial College, leaving behind Hong Chang's body, Yan Shifan disappeared.

The Imperial Guards have been searching for the person for a long time, but so far there have been no leads.

The good news is that, unlike last time when they were kidnapped at the Deer Cry Banquet, the thieves did not send a kidnapping letter.

The bad news is that the longer Yan Shifan has been missing, the more suspicious he becomes.

Of course, that was the original situation.

Now that the Embroidered Uniform Guard is interrogating him, what suspicion is there? How could Grand Secretary Yan's son be a suspect?
"Reporting to Grand Secretary Yan, the confession has been given!"

Tan Jing, the commander, came up behind him again, beaming, and said, "The thieves have all confessed!"

"Handler Tan has worked hard!"

Yan Song concealed the worry between his brows, gave his approval, and took the case file.

After his gaze swept over the testimonies marked with red ink, he sighed deeply: "It is truly shocking that someone would allow court infighting to interfere in the talent selection ceremony!"

After two days of expedited interrogation by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the "truth" of the case has become clear.

The process can be summarized in a very simple way.

Hong Chang, a student at the Imperial Academy, was instructed to leak exam papers and bribe Yan Shifan to commit fraud in order to obtain the title of Jinshi.

However, Yan Shifan, being a man of integrity, resolutely refused.

After failing to succeed, the mastermind killed Hong Chang, who knew the truth, to silence him and framed the son of the upright prime minister, hoping to use the Shuntian Prefecture government to confirm the crime of murder!
Do whatever it takes!

As for who the mastermind behind this is...

The scarlet handprints pressed onto the confessions all pointed to the same name.

Minister of Justice, Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, and Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall.

Huo Tao.

Surrounding this Grand Secretary, a series of accomplices were revealed, many of whom were high-ranking and powerful figures in the imperial court.

This is a major case!
A case of utter devastation!

The Imperial Guards were itching to try it.

If they were all arrested, what a huge political achievement that would be!

The key point is that they can also raid homes!
Tan Jing knew that his brothers were already itching for action, like wolves that had caught the scent of blood. Seeing that they had collected enough testimonies, he immediately asked, "Shall we invite Grand Secretary Huo to the Northern Garrison?"

He would never have dared to say that before.

But this time, even if the sky falls, it will be the Grand Secretary who will bear the brunt. It won't be the Embroidered Uniform Guards who will be beaten to death by the officials in the palace.

Besides, judging from this ruthless and cunning method, it's hard to say who will kill whom first!

"No!"

Even so, Yan Song shook his head and turned his attention to another target: "Invite Huang Wan, the chief examiner of this year's imperial examination, to come here. He is responsible for such a major case that occurred during the examination!"

"Minister Huang?"

Huang Wan is currently the second most important figure in the Grand Rites Controversy Group, second only to Huo Tao. He holds the official position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and is rumored to have the opportunity to succeed the Minister of Personnel.

But no matter what, his status is still inferior to Huo Tao's.

Why not take down Huo Tao first, instead of inviting Huang Wan for tea?

"Yes!"

Tan Jing was somewhat confused, but he accepted the order and went.

Yan Song naturally wouldn't explain this to these executors. Even Sun Weixian, who currently holds the power of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, wasn't qualified to speak to him as an equal.

The key issue now is not here.

He turned towards the Imperial College, his gaze filled with both worry and comfort:
"Mingwei, I entrust Qing'er's safety and my worries to you!"

(End of this chapter)